Is a Dust Mite Allergy Lurking in Your Home?

For some people, being exposed to a plume of dust will result in a series of significant respiratory allergy symptoms like sneezing and runny nose. It would be understandable to assume, therefore, that the allergy is caused by dust in the air, but this is not the case. A dust allergy is actually called a dust mite allergy, or more specifically, an allergy to millions of microscopic insects that could be lurking throughout a home or office.

Dust mites, which can only be seen with a microscope, are a species related to spiders. Many homes have up to 10 million dust mites, which is bad news for people with dust mite allergy symptoms. If you have a dust mite allergy, your immune system is responding to the residue that dust mites leave behind such as their feces and dead bodies. Dust mite residue often becomes combined with dust and floats through the air. If you breathe in dust mite residue and are sensitive to it, you will experience the symptoms of a dust mite allergy in your airways.

The symptoms of a dust mite allergy are similar to those of seasonal allergies. Your dust mite allergy may range from mild to severe, resulting in some or all of the following symptoms:

The first step in natural allergy relief from troublesome dust mite allergy symptoms is reducing the amount of dust mites in your home environment. Removing dust is obviously beneficial in reducing a dust mite allergy; dusting with a damp cloth and vacuuming with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter are a great start. There are also special mattress and pillow covers you can use on your bed to prevent the dust mite from proliferating. Another way to reduce a dust mite allergy is to keep a low humidity in your home with air conditioning and a dehumidifier. Finally, getting rid of items that tend to collect dust, such as knickknacks and pillows, can help clear up your dust mite allergy.